Picture Credit: Twitter
Spanish midfielder Juan Mata is set to leave Manchester United in the summer transfer window. The 34-year-old midfielder played a crucial role in Spain’s 2010 World Cup and the European 2012 Championship win. The Red Devils paid a then club-record £37.1m when he joined from Chelsea in 2014.
Mata so far has scored 51 goals in 285 appearances for United and played in seven Premier League games last season. Addressing his departure from Old Trafford, Mata said, “From here, from the middle of the pitch at Old Trafford, at night. I'm alone. Actually, this feels like a dream," in the video posted on the club’s website.
“I wanted to say thank you very much to all of you for your support over the years and especially during the difficult times that we lived together. I will never forget you. Thank you very much. All the best from the bottom of my heart and goodbye.”
The Spaniard made his debut for the Reds in a 2-0 win against Cardiff City on 28 January 2014. In his first full season for Manchester, under new manager Louis van Gaal, Mata had some incredible performances with a magical bicycle kick against Liverpool. Then in the 2015/16 season, he won his first title, winning the FA Cup. Mata then quadrupled his trophy tally in the 2016/17 season where he won the League Cup, Europa League and the Community Shield.
“As a player, the quality Juan has is amazing,” Lindelof
Manchester United defender Victor Lindelof also talked about Juan Mata’s impact on the team in an interview earlier this year. He said, “As a player, the quality Juan has is amazing. His vision, his touch and his ability to see everything on the pitch are fantastic. As a person, he’s always happy and always positive. He's just a great guy.”
Similarly, Mata himself addressed his future plans and said, “I still have a lot of passion and a lot of will to keep enjoying football. This is a dream come true to be a professional football player so I want to play as much as I can.”